Clip for pocket articles



March 17, 1942. I STENERSEN 2,276,891

CLIP FOR POCKET ARTICLES Filed Oct. 6,1939

19 INYENTOR. T] CZZbefL/f/ file 2 13 9; I a

J ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 17, 1942 CLIP FOR POCKET ARTICLES Albert H. Stenersen, Chicago, 111., assignor to Eversharp, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application October 6, 1939, Serial No. 298,167

6 Claims.

This invention relates to clips or clasps for securing articles such as lead pencils, fountain pens, thermometer or comb cases, or the like, to a garment, as when carried in a pocket or other- A general object of the invention is the provision of an improved construction which permits the clips being made quite slender and light, yet with the necessary strength and as an integral unit which may be properly mounted on and secured to the intended article by very simple operations.

A particular object is the provision of such a clip which includes as integral parts thereof the elements whereby it is secured to the article, and wherein the character of the construction is such that the elements will be effective to hold the clip in place very firmly and securely both by virtue of their cooperation with their article and with one another and because the piercing or slotting of the article, for insertion of them, is of such character that the strength of the article is not seriously weakened, and furthermore because of the fact that the clip itself serves to reinforce portions of the article in the locality wherein it is mounted.

Another particular object is the provision of a construction which materially reduces the possibility of the clips becoming sprung or permanently distorted incident to normal use.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure or actual use of the invention.

For th purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention, I show in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter describe, a clip construction constituting an embodiment of it. It is to be understood, however, that this is presented merely by way of illustration and that various changes and modifications of said construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

In said drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the complete clip ready for attachment to a suitable article;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of same;

Fig. 3 is a top view of same;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is aside elevational view showing the clip as attached to a tubular article; and

Fig. 8 is a top view of same on a somewhat.

larger scale.

An understanding of the nature of the invention will be had most readily from a detailed description of the embodiment illustrated in the drawing.

The clip is formed from a suitable light sheet material, such as suitable sheet stock having a spring temper rolled into it, or a suitable thin sheet steel of a kind which maybe worked readily in its mild form yet which may be tempered to give it very effective resilient or spring quality. The clip is blanked out from the sheet material, and then formed up into the shape illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive. By such operations it is formed with a shank portion having a longitudinally extending front panel luwithrearwardly turned flanges Illa along its sides, so that it is of channel shape in cross section. Said flanges gradually widen upwardly to provide a head portion which terminates at an angularly directed longitudinal tang portion ll. Lateral tangs l2 are formed on the lateral flanges 10a at locations spaced a substantial distance from the longitudinal tang ll. Between said tangs' H and I2, portions of the widened flanges form seating or spacer elements M. Fig. 3, the width of the longitudinal tang II is somewhat less than the distance between the lateral tangsrlZ, and as noted in Fig. 1, tang H is of suflicient length to extend past the tangs I2 when it is bent into more or less parallel relationship with the shank ID. of the tangs preferably are tapered or rounded, in order to facilitate their being inserted through slots in the article on which the clip is to be mounted.

At the lower end of the shank ill the lateral flanges Illa are widened and formed with arcuate margins to form the sides l5 of a bulb or detent member, the lower surface of which is formed by an upwardly curled strip it which was originally provided as an extended end portion of the blank, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The bottom strip 16 is curled upwardly so as to conform generally't'othe marginal contour of the flange portions 15,: but it preferably is arranged to project 'slightlyj beyond their margins, as illustrated in Figs. 1, '4 and '7, to provide a smooth arcuate bearing? surface sloping upwardly and rearwardly from the lower terminus of the front panel l0. At its upper end, the front panel. is deflected rearwardly at lllb, atan'oblique angle, and-the As will be observed in The free ends longitudinal tang H is formed as a further continuation of the front panel.

When made from roll-tempered material, such as gold-filled, bronze, nickel, silver, stainless steel, etc., the clip may be formed complete as described, the shank being given temper or spring quality by swaging or drawing. When made made from mild steel the clip is formed up into this shape while the cold sheet metal is in a relatively ductile and workable condition. After being so formed, such a clip is tempered by heating to the proper temperature and then quenched, in a conventional fashion, so as to give it a strongly resilient or spring-like character, a quality which is desired for proper performance of its function as a clasp or gripping member. After a tempered clip has been thus suitably formed, the tangs H and I2 are annealed in a suitable manner, as by heating and slow cooling, so that they are softened to an extent permitting their being i bent or re-formed in a cold condition. The clip is now in proper condition to be aniXed to a selected article, such for example as a fountain pen cap, a mechanical pencil barrel, thermometer case, or the like. The mounting of the clip 'on such an article is accomplished by slotting the wall portion of the latter in three places corresponding to the cross-sectional size and locations of the tangs II and I2. The clip is then applied to the arti'cleby inserting the tangs through the slots until the seating or spacer elements l4 are placed in contact with its surface, and then bending the longitudinal tang downwardly and out- .wardly against the inner surface of the wall through which it has been inserted, to a position such that its lower end portion lies between the lateral tangs l2. The lateral tangs I2 are then bent toward each other across and into binding engagement with the inwardly presented surface of the longitudinal tang l I. This brings the parts into the relationship illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein the reference character B designates the wall of the article upon which the clip is mounted. The tangs are bent firmly into these new relationships, so that a portion of said wall is firmly clamped between the longitudinal tang H and the seating or spacing elements l4, and the lateral tangs l2 in cooperation with the longitudinal tang H hold the head portion securely against swinging away from the wall of the r article. It will be apparent also that the tangs cooperate in a fashion such as to prevent lateral oscillation of the head portion on the article. It is desirable that the relationship of the seating elements M, flange portions l and bottom wall strip is be such that when the clip is thus mounted on the article, said bottom wall strip IE will bear against the adjacent surface thereof. It is desirable also that the tang ll be of such length as to extend somewhat beyond the slots through which the lateral tangs l2 are inserted.

Because of the relationship of parts, the arrangement and spacing of the slots are such that there is no critical weakening of the material of the article wall in the localities between them,

and the tangs, in conjunction with the head pdrtion of the clip, serve actually to reinforce the wall portion of the article in the vicinity of the slots. As a consequence, not only is the clip itself securely held in position against lateral and outward tilting, but also it functions to reinforce wall portions of the article against distortion and tearing out,

Due to the tempered quality of the shank, it is adapted to be flexed resiliently away from the wall B, and retain its elastic tendency to spring back. Accordingly, when even a relatively thin body, such as a sheet of fabric, is slid in between the bottom wall portion l6 and the article wall B, it will be securely pinched or gripped.

The strip forming the bottom wall I6 presents a smooth bearing surface for sliding on the inserted body, and it also has a proper resiliency, in its own scope, which accommodates the intrusion of the inserted body in the upward direction, yet opposes resistance to withdrawal of it in the downward direction. As a consequence,

' the clip exerts a particularly strong and effective holding action on an interposed layer of fabric after it has been inserted, although it renders the inserting operation particularly smooth and easy. This all tends to reduce wear on the margin of a pocket or the like where the article is customarily carried.

I claim:

1. A clip of the sort described comprising an integral body having an elongate shank formed with an end portion offset rearwardly, a longitudinal tang extending from said offset end of the shank and lateral tangs extending from the opposite sides of the shank at locations spaced from the longitudinal tang by a distance less than the length of the longitudinal tang, said lateral tangs being spaced laterally from each other to accommodate the longitudinal tang between them when it is bent to a position behind and approximately parallel with the shank.

2. A clip of the sort described comprising an integral body having an elongate shank portion with rearwardly offset spacer elements adjacent one end, a longitudinal tang extending from said end of the shank portion and lateral tangs extending from said spacer elements at the opposite sides of the-shank portion at locations spaced from the longitudinal tang, said lateral tangs being spaced laterally from each other to accommodate the longitudinal tang between them.

3. A clip of the sort described comprising an integral body having an elongate shank portion, a longitudinal tang extending from one end of the shank portion and lateral tangs extending from the opposite sides of the shank portion at locations spaced from the longitudinal tang, the shank having rearwardly offset spacer elements located between the longitudinal and lateral tangs, said lateral tangs being spaced laterally from each other to accommodate the longitudinal tang between them.

4. A clip of the sort described comprising an integral body having an elongate shank portion, a longitudinal tang extending rearwardly from one end of the shank portion and lateral tangs extending rearwardly from the opposite sides of the shank portion at locations spaced from the longitudinal tang by a distance less than the length of the longitudinal tang, said lateral tangs being spaced laterally from each other to accommodate the longitudinal tang between them when it is bent to a position behind and approximately parallel with the shank, said lateral tangs being of sufficient length to permit their being bent toward each other to overlap the rearward side of the longitudinal tang when it is in said relationship.

5. A clip of the sort described comprising an integral body having an elongate shank portion, a longitudinal tang extending from one end of the shank portion and lateral tangs extending from the opposite sides of the shank portion at locations spaced from the longitudinal tang, said lateral tangs being spaced laterally from each other to accommodate the longitudinaltang between them, the shank being formed with rearwardly directed longitudinal flanges at its opposite sides and the lateral tangs being formed as.

further extensions from said flanges.

6. A clip of the sort described comprising an integral body having an elongate shank portion, a longitudinal tang extending from one end of the shank portion and lateral tangs extending from the opposite sides 01' the shank portion at locations spaced from the longitudinal tang, said lateral tangs being spaced laterally from each other to accommodate the longitudinal tang between them, the shank being formedv with a longitudinally extending front panel having rearwardly directed flanges at its lateral margins, the longitudinal tang being formed as an extension from one end of the front panel and the lateral tangs being formed as rearward extensions from 10 said flanges.

ALBERT H. STENERSEN. 

